Epsilon (A Pokemon Uranium Fanfic)
by StarlingJedi
Summary: "The memories are starting to push their way back to the forefront, and even though you fight back against them, you're powerless to stop them from crashing down around you and sweeping you away…" The aftermath of Epsilon (second person POV). Based on the fangame Pokemon Uranium. *Spoiler alert for Gym 3/Bealbeach City/Epsilon sidequest*
1. Prologue

**A/N:** _Sooo... a couple months ago, I started playing this Pokemon fangame called Pokemon Uranium. Little did I realize, when I sought out that elusive download, that I would be swept up in such an awesome game with an incredible story, and that it would inspire my muse enough that I'd want to write fanfic for it!_

 _I had four betas go over this with me: two people from the "Pokemon Uranium Trainers Only" FB group, Lazor Comfort from the Uranium forum, and the lovely Dynamite3539 from here on FFNet (who is currently working on an awesome Uranium fic of her own, which I highly recommend). They were pretty thorough, but I take full responsibility for any other mistakes that might have slipped through the cracks!_

* * *

 **Epsilon**

You're not sure how long you were in that feverish state.

Cameron tells you that you were unconscious, but you think that you must not have been, at least not completely. But it's hard to tell what part of that nightmare was real, what part was fractured memory, and what part was purely imagined hallucination. You're fairly sure that you remembered everything accurately up to the point that the computer you touched began to glitch and spark, and the floor opened up beneath you. But beyond that, it's nothing but a blur of adrenaline and horror and sickness.

He continues to talk. You're not sure if he's talking to you, or one of the workers, or maybe someone – your father? – over the phone; you're still trying to piece together the events of the past few days and make sense of it all. But then you hear him tell you that it's not safe for you to stay on the island and that he's made arrangements for you to return to the mainland; suddenly, trying to come to grips with what you've gone through is no longer priority.

You shakily climb out of bed – it's been long enough, at least, that you have to remind your legs how to support your body – and immediately, your faithful Raptorch is right there beside you, nuzzling up to you and shoving his head under your hand to help provide support. Instinctively, you kneel down beside him and wrap your arms around him, feeling the heat of his fiery body warm you to the core, and whisper words of gratitude for staying with you this entire time. Given what the two of you went through, you would not have blamed him if he'd decided to run away and never look back. You wouldn't have blamed _any_ of the Pokémon you'd brought with you, for that matter; granted, only Aveden or Cubblfly would have been able to escape the island.

You barely remember to mutter a "thanks" and "farewell" to Cameron and the other workers as you gather your things. With Raptorch remaining loyally by your side, you step outside of the rest house into the fading twilight.

You pause, staring across the clearing at the overgrowth of forest that separates the new construction from the ghostly remnants of the old power plant's burned-out shell. Dread, like a cold weight, settles in the pit of your stomach as you see the skeletal silhouette of the crumbling cooling tower, a stark contrast to the surrounding trees.

The tall grass just beyond the clearing sways hypnotically in the breeze; a sudden rustle and a low growl from within turns your entire body into ice. As you watch, a pair of eyes – glowing soulless orbs of greenish-white light – peer at you through the grass. Your breath catches in your throat and you're suddenly –

– _at the very edge of the tall grass, listening to the rustling of the Pokémon within, hearing random growls and cries. You're not entirely sure what you'll find – the whispered rumors among the workers of the island gave plenty of warning about how unusually aggressive and_ _creepy_ _the local Pokémon were, but little actual information to go on – but somehow, just listening to them you feel a sense of uncertainty, and a certain gravity of the situation._

 _You step into the grass, then immediately back out; nothing happens. You try this several times, a few steps more each time, to no effect. You can still hear them out there, but their noises are different now, lower and quieter, focused instead of random. You get the sense that you're being played with. Taking a deep breath, you steel yourself and rush in, aiming for a clear patch. You are jumped before you get to it._

 _You react purely on instinct, grabbing the first PokéBall on your belt and sending it out before your mind registers what you're seeing: it's a Costraw – you saw plenty of them back on Route 5 outside Rochfale Town – but instead of its normal purple coloring, it's black with fluorescent green highlights and an ominous green aura. You think "_ _shiny_ _" for a split second before noticing its eyes, white and blank and empty, and then it's attacking._

 _The first Pokémon out was your newly-hatched Nupin; it doesn't stand a chance. A powerful energy unlike any you've ever seen before shoots out from the Costraw and hits hard, leaving a buzzing energy in its wake that has every hair on your body standing on end. Nupin is knocked out instantly, taking the hit hard enough that you're suddenly scared for its safety. But you don't have time to think or check on it because now that the playing field is empty, the Costraw has its soulless gaze fixed on_ _you_ _._

"Hey!"

You jump, startled back to the present by the worker who is running toward you, waving his arms in the air to get your attention. You're horrified to realize that you've strayed closer to the tall grass in your distraction.

"You can't go down there!" the worker exclaims, reaching your side and pulling you back. "Boss says this area is off-limits until we tear down the old plant. It's too dangerous."

You blink at him, then turn to look back across the grass. The eyes that had been staring at you are no longer visible, but you get the sensation that you're still being watched. A shiver courses down your spine.

It's too much, all of it... the unnerving Pokémon corrupted by the radiation, the husk of the power plant beyond. Without another look, you turn and head for the ferry waiting for you at the dock to take you away from this forsaken island and the awful memories it holds.


	2. Epsilon

_You don't remember much about the accident. You remember being in your room, playing with an Eevee doll, waiting for your parents to come home. You think you remember hearing a loud boom like thunder, but now you wonder if you actually did or if you planted it within your memory yourself._

 _What you_ _do_ _remember is your father... the look of fear in his eyes as he burst into your room, grabbed you off the floor, and ran downstairs. You remember seeing the babysitter downstairs, sobbing fearfully as you all left. You remember clutching your father's neck as he ran for the Subway amid a throng of panicked people._

 _Somewhere along the way, you remember dropping your Eevee doll. You begged your father to go back and pick it up. He didn't._

 _You can't remember when it was that you noticed that your mother wasn't there; maybe it was while you were on the Subway, maybe it was while you were walking to Moki Town. You don't remember what your father told you when you asked him where she was; all you remember was seeing him cry, and that scared you because you'd never seen him cry before._

 _You remember crying when he left you with Auntie. When her friends came over, you heard whispered words you didn't understand, "meltdown" and "fallout" and "radiation". You didn't know these words, but they scared you._

 _Days passed. One day, you asked Auntie when your father would be back. "I don't know, Sweetie. Soon, I hope." Then you asked her about your mother, and you saw tears in her eyes. "Oh Honey, I'm so sorry." That was all she said,_ _but it was somehow enough for you to understand that she was never coming back..._

* * *

As the ferry glides over the water, you remember things you should have brought back with you. You found some berries near the rest house when you first arrived and replanted them; you realize now that you never checked to see if they were ready to be picked before you left. You also think about the burned and scattered pages from the notebook you picked up off the desk when you first entered the abandoned power plant; perhaps you should have gathered up the pages, but at the time you hadn't seen the point of keeping the barely-legible pages that everyone else had passed over as well.

Not that you have any intentions of going back for either the berries _or_ the reports. There isn't a single reason in Tandor that would compel you to go back to that horrifying place. You still can't quite comprehend what possessed your father to send you into that plant to start with.

Closure, Cameron had suggested. But you don't feel any sort of closure at all, just a lingering horror at the _reality_ of what had happened there ten years ago. And clearly, the disaster wasn't over. Ten years later, the Pokémon were still affected by the radiation, and the inside of the crumbling power plant was still radioactive enough to make _you_ sick after having only been inside a couple of hours. How could anyone have closure under those circumstances?

You glance across the water at the unfinished cooling tower under construction, lit by lights allowing the workers to continue through the night. It seems strange to you that Cameron believes so strongly in nuclear energy that he would build another plant on the same site as the one that melted down ten years ago. He had been there with your mother, had barely escaped with his life… he knew firsthand the dangers, and yet…

Something hot bumps your hand; you jump and let out a muffled scream before you realize that it's merely Raptorch nuzzling you. He pulls back, the flame on the tip of his tail flickering in surprise; he drops his head shamefully and lets out an apologetic-sounding "Grawwwwwk..."

You take a deep breath, willing your now-racing heart to slow down. "Sorry, Raptorch... you just... startled me, is all." Your hand trembles as you reach out to scratch his head. Your entire body is feeling weak, and you slide down to the deck, back against the railing, and embrace Raptorch.

The memories are starting to push their way back to the forefront, and even though you fight back against them, you're powerless to stop them from crashing down around you and sweeping you away...

 _Just as the Costraw lets loose with another attack, Raptorch leaps forward and catches the beam of radiation before it hits you; the hit is hard – super-effective – but surprisingly he manages not to faint. His momentum carries him forward and he tackles the Costraw hard. Surprisingly, that hit is also super-effective._

 _They both struggle to their feet, and you have just enough presence of mind left to grab an empty PokéBall and hurl it at the Costraw before it can recover enough to attack again. You hold your breath as the PokéBall shakes, letting out a sigh of relief when it gives one final shake and falls still. You're not sure what you're going to do with it or even if you_ _want_ _to do anything with it, given the menacing warnings from the workers, but you feel like maybe your father and Professor Bamb'o need to see it for themselves to make sense of it._

 _You don't have long to relish your victory, because now every Pokémon in the grass is aware of your presence, howling in rage. The next one that jumps you is an Owten, and you can't help but let out a cry of alarm and despair at the sight of it – one of those peaceful and friendly little creatures that you fell in love with outside Kevlar Town – with the same black-and-green coloring and white hollow eyes as that Costraw. You wave Raptorch aside and grab the PokéBall with Kinetmunk in it, but the Owten is too quick, its unnatural attacks too strong, that even though you chose the Pokémon with a type advantage it's almost as if that advantage does her no good at all. Kinetmunk goes down; so does Cubblfly and Grozard, both just moments after entering battle. Only Aveden manages to damage it enough for you to catch it, thanks to his speed helping him dodge attacks._

 _By the time you've caught Owten, a Tancoon – same unnatural coloring, same unnatural attacks, and same lifeless eyes – has challenged you. Aveden dive-bombs it from above but Tancoon's counterattack takes it out. The air crackles and hums with unseen energy; you take stock of the situation – five fainted Pokémon and Raptorch with heavy damage – and fear finally compels you to_ _run_ _._

 _Tancoon is right at your heels, barking and snapping menacingly. It pounces and you feel sharp claws tear into your calf. You cry out in pain and fear as you go down, your entire leg throbbing and_ _burning_ _from the assault. Raptorch bellows in rage and, before you can stop him, launches himself at Tancoon._

" _Raptorch, no!" you scream, but it does no good. You are frozen in place, your entire body shaking with terror for your loyal companion, powerless to do anything as you watch Raptorch slam into Tancoon, the impact sending them both tumbling deeper into the tall grass and out of sight. Hot tears sting your eyes as you watch the rustling grass, the flares of red and green – Raptorch's fire, Tancoon's radiation – as the Pokémon battle unseen._

" _Raptorch..." you whisper tearfully. You feel sick to your stomach; that Raptorch would risk his life to protect you is not unexpected, but you still feel a sense of responsibility and guilt. All you can do is pray to Arceus that he makes it out of the battle alive; you could never forgive yourself otherwise._

 _A sudden blast of white light suddenly erupts, flickering in orange and green. You draw a sharp gasp, panic seizing your lungs and your mind – and then suddenly, Raptorch tumbles out of the grass, landing just a foot away. You don't have time to express your relief and gratitude and joy that he's alive; something is still prowling in the grass, so you force your legs to move, grabbing him and diving for shelter behind a tree._

 _You press your back to the tree, listening intently to your surroundings as you quickly check Raptorch. He's severely injured, barely clinging to consciousness. How he's hanging on is beyond you, but you are inordinately grateful that he is._

 _Something rustles in the grass somewhere behind you; you quickly press yourself tighter against the tree and pull Raptorch to you chest, one hand wrapped around his muzzle to keep him quiet so he won't give away your hiding place. Raptorch's body grows hotter in protest – even barely conscious, he doesn't like being restrained like this – and the heat sears your arms. You have to bite down hard on your tongue to keep from crying out in pain. If whatever is in the grass finds you, it's all over._

 _Raptorch squirms, feebly reaching for something on the ground. You struggle to hold him back, but you can't. He picks something up and hands it to you; it's a small rock. He makes throwing gestures, and you suddenly understand._

 _Heart pounding, you steel yourself and throw the rock as hard as you can into the grass. Howling cries ring out as whatever was prowling leaps toward the spot where the rock landed. Adrenaline rushes through you as you sprint for the clearing._

 _You don't look back to see if anything is chasing you; you don't stop running even once you're out of the tall grass; you run full steam until you reach the rest house, bursting inside breathlessly – much to the surprise of the gathered workers within – and collapsing just inside the door._

 _One worker laughs about your "dramatic entrance" but quickly shuts up when he – and the others – takes notice of the state you're in. You feel someone pull Raptorch from your arms, and you almost fight back. But then you notice the sympathetic smile of a pink-haired nurse, and relax, letting her take Raptorch and your other Pokémon._

 _The nurse tells you about the healing machine they had shipped in so they could take care of the workers' Pokémon, once they realized the dangers of the corrupted native fauna. It does its job wonderfully, just as good as the ones in the Pokémon Center, because in a matter of seconds, your Pokémon are fully healed and back to normal – or mostly normal, anyway. They are all a bit nervous; the young Nupin is, understandably, especially skittish._

 _You, on the other hand, take longer to recover. While the nurse tends to your Pokémon, playing with them and gently coaxing them back to a less anxious state, the other workers see to your own injuries. You had avoided looking too closely at your leg before now; part of you expects, given the nature of the Tancoon, to see it oozing with glowing green fluid. When you look, you're both surprised and relieved that it's_ _not_ _, though it is bleeding rather heavily and still burns like acid. You don't flinch when someone sprays antiseptic on the gashes. It stings a little, but nothing compared to the pain you've endured until now._

 _It's that comparison that has you lying on the cot quietly as they patch you up, staring up at the ceiling and listening to them talk amongst themselves as they work. You notice, but don't react to, the stitches going into the lacerations on your leg and the salve being gently rubbed into the burns on your arms. When they're finished, you quietly get up, gather your Pokémon, and leave the rest house._

 _The ferry that brought you to the island is no longer at the dock. You think perhaps the captain doesn't like this place any more than you do. But you can't run away; your father asked you to visit the old plant for a reason. You're still not entirely sure what that reason is... but you can't help but hope that perhaps, if you carry through, you'll finally make him happy..._

"We're almost at the... hey, are you okay?"

The sudden intrusion of the captain's voice somehow doesn't startle you, but you still feel a little disoriented at the abrupt return to reality. It takes you a moment to fully separate _past_ from _present_.

Raptorch licks your cheek, and you belatedly realize that you've been crying. You quickly swipe the rest of the moisture away and stand up, gripping the railing for support as your legs threaten to give out on you. "I'm okay," you tell the captain with as much assurance as you can muster.

He doesn't quite seem to believe you – you can't blame him, you didn't sound very convincing even to yourself – but tactfully doesn't pursue the matter. "We'll be docking shortly. I bet you can't wait to get back to Bealbeach, huh?"

You turn and gaze across the water. You can just barely see the island in the distance, a faint glow from the construction lights, but – thankfully – you can't see the cooling towers from this far, at least not in the dark. "You have no idea," you remark.

Again, the captain doesn't push for details, and you're grateful for that. You wonder if he himself has experienced the horrors that island possesses, but you don't ask. Some things, after all, are best left unspoken.

When the ferry docks, you thank the captain and quickly disembark. You stand at the dock for a few minutes, watching the lights of Bealbeach sparkle on the ocean waves, the bright sands of Tandor Sheets reflecting the pale moonlight. It's a beautiful sight, and for a moment, you almost feel _normal_ again.

You try not to think about the fact that there were a couple times on the island that you truly believed you'd never see this sight again.

You take several steps toward Bealbeach. It's not too far into the sand that a Cassnail appears in front of you. Raptorch lets out a low growl, and you quickly rummage through your bag for a Repel. It may just be a normal Pokémon, but still... after what all you've been through, you're in no mood to deal with it right now.

The Cassnail locks eyes with you, and does something you can't quite explain... it lowers its head, and slowly backs away from you. Raptorch tilts his head and lets out a puzzled "Grawk?"

You're not sure what to make of this. But you notice, as you continue toward Bealbeach, that other Pokémon keep their distance as well. Maybe they sense your mental and emotional exhaustion. Or maybe they sense the low levels of radiation that Cameron claimed is still in your body. Either way, you get to Bealbeach without being jumped and you're grateful for that, whatever the reason.

* * *

 _When you were about to start kindergarten, your father came to visit. Auntie tells you that you screamed and cried when he first came in and picked you up, because you hadn't seen him in so long that you didn't recognize him._

 _You don't remember this. What you do remember is him letting you play with his Capture Styler, drawing loops around your plush Baashaun, while he and Auntie argued downstairs about searching for someone named "Lucille". You remember hearing Auntie say something about "false hope" and thought it was a Pokémon move. And you remember at some point, you ran downstairs – still pretending to be a Pokémon Ranger – and shouted "I got you, Baashaun, now use False Hope!"_

 _You still remember what that sudden silence felt like._

 _Later that night, after your father left – you remember crying over him leaving – Auntie set you down and explained how your father believed your mother – Lucille – was still out there. "What happened on that island," she said, "was… such a terrible thing. And your father… sometimes people choose to believe certain things because it's easier to deal with than what's real. I would love nothing more than to learn that Lucille is still alive. But… in the end, I hope you come to learn that believing in what's real, however hard it may be, is much better than a 'false hope' – believing in something you_ _want_ _to be real, rather than something that_ _is_ _real."_

 _Even though you were only five when you first heard Auntie tell you this – and you barely understood it at the time – you still remember her words. Of course, you heard her say the same thing so many times over the years that it would be impossible now_ _not_ _to remember._

* * *

The Ranger HQ falls perfectly quiet as you walk in; it reminds you of that fateful day before kindergarten when you silenced an argument with a single misinterpreted phrase.

Kellyn is standing at the Command Desk when you enter, back turned toward you. But somehow he knows you're there – you were probably on a security camera, or maybe he saw your reflection in the monitors – because he calmly turns toward you as you approach.

He quietly sizes you and Raptorch up, as if determining the outcome of your journey by sight alone. When he finally speaks, it's not to ask how you are, or what you found. Instead, he comments on the state of the Pokémon on the island, how disturbing the reports were and how it was at least good that they were isolated out there.

When he turns away, you quietly clench your fists at your side. You're used to him being distant, but it still stings. You quickly turn to leave before the threatening tears betray you.

"I have something for you."

You freeze, trying to make sure that you're fully composed before facing him again.

"Here," he says, handing you a key card. "I have a permanent suite reservation at Bealbeach Resort. You're welcome to stay there as long as you want."

You look down at the key card. "You don't need it?"

He shrugs. "I sleep here. A Ranger needs to be immediately ready for whatever emergency may arise. Even a couple minutes to get here from the resort could mean the difference between life and death."

Somehow, you feel that maybe it would have meant more if he'd opted to stay here instead of a luxury hotel suite because it meant you had a place to stay, rather than getting an unwanted leftover. Still, it'll be nice to take a hot shower and sleep in a comfortable bed. "Thanks," you say.

The two of you stand in awkward silence for a moment. Finally, Kellyn clears his throat and turns away. "Well... take care, then."

You try to hide your disappointment as you turn to leave. "Thanks... you too."

You can feel the eyes of the other Rangers follow you out the door, and wonder what they must think of you. Several of them that you talked to before leaving for Epsilon were shocked to learn that Kellyn had a kid. Clearly, you didn't warrant him talking a lot about you. Not that you're surprised; most days you don't really realize that you have a father, either.

The walk to the resort isn't very far, but it takes you a while to get there. The sound of the surf and the feel of the cool sea breeze against your skin somehow are no longer as refreshing as when you first arrived in Bealbeach. Instead, they remind you too much of things you'd much rather forget.

When you arrive at the resort, you don't go up to your room right away. Instead, you head for the casino and sit down at one of the Voltorb Flip tables. You played a little before you left for Epsilon, and it seems now like just the perfect escape to get your mind off of things.

Minutes pass and meld into hours. Your coin balance steadily increases, and you briefly think that you'll soon have enough coins to get a Tracton. You're not sure how long you sit at the table marking and flipping cards. But at some point, the cards start to blur and mix together, and you can barely fight off sleep any longer. So you cash out and gather up your winnings into your Coin Case, and head upstairs for the suite.

Your suite is one of the better ones of the resort: a roomy bedroom that doubles as a sitting area, an adjoining bathroom with both a shower and a Jacuzzi that looks big enough to accommodate four, and a balcony overlooking the beach. Idly you wonder what your father did to wind up with a permanent reservation here. Probably found some bigwig's runaway Lunapup or rescued their Feleng from a tree, you think with an unhealthy dose of cynicism.

You feel like you're about to fall asleep on your feet, but you still manage to drag yourself to the bathroom and take a shower. The hot water feels good on your sore muscles; if only the bad memories could wash away as easily as the dust and grime...

 _Little by little, you push on, using the Nuclear Pokémon to train your team. You never stray further into the grass than you have to at any given time, so that you and your team can challenge one or two of the corrupted creatures at a time and get safely back to the rest house before taking too much damage._

 _At first, your ventures are entertainment for the workers. You hear them make jokes and place bets; every now and then, a group of them stops and watches, cheering you and your Pokémon on like a sports team. You ignore them as best as you can._

 _At some point, the mood starts to shift. You're no longer a source of amusement, but rather an object of pity. Every time you return to the rest house, you sense the atmosphere get more and more somber. It takes you a moment to realize why; it's the point when you look into Raptorch's eyes and see how_ _haunted_ _he looks, then look at the rest of your team and see the same look in their eyes. You realize that you probably have that same look yourself._

 _The workers you encounter, especially some of the scientists who have taken to studying the Nuclear Pokémon as a morbid obsession, give you helpful advice. One of them, whom you spar with to help train his Pokémon better, tells you that the Steel-types seem to fare better against these corrupted types. You think about the Barewl you caught in Passage Cave, but you can't bring him out here now. You also think about Theo's Orchynx, naturally better suited than Raptorch to withstand these Nuclear attacks. At the same time, you're glad Cameron forced him to go back to the mainland; there's no way you would want Theo out here facing these horrors._

 _Each time you go out, you're able to get a little deeper into the grass, a little closer to the abandoned power plant. Your Pokémon are getting stronger, and you realize that eventually, you'll be strong enough to – and_ _have_ _to – go inside. It's a moment you both anticipate and dread._

You forcefully push the memories away as you finally turn off the water and step out of the shower. The constant grinding against those horrific creatures was bad enough, but it didn't compare to exploring the plant. And yet, those memories still prowl in the dark corners of your mind, whispering, stalking you, haunting you.

You think about going back downstairs to the casino, but you're too tired.

You towel off and change into clean clothes, and wander back into the bedroom. You stand at the sliding glass doors that open to the balcony overlooking the bay; the moon glistens and ripples in the waves. It's a beautiful sight, but you quickly pull the shades closed to block it before you can look for that faint light on the horizon.

All of your Pokémon but Raptorch are tucked away in their PokéBalls. You look at Raptorch, who is watching you intently, his head tilted just slightly. You consider putting him away too, but somehow the thought of leaving the room empty seems… disconcerting. "If I leave you out for the night," you ask him, "do you promise to behave?"

Raptorch nods. He looks serious – sad even – which is a distinct contrast to his usual energetic and slightly mischievous nature. You get the impression that he's just as troubled tonight as you are, and is no more in the mood for acting up as you are for dealing with it.

"All right then," you say. You pause for a moment before climbing into bed. The bed is big enough that you could probably fit all of your Pokémon in it with you and still have room to spare. You crawl to the center and nuzzle your way under the covers. With its soft sheets and fluffy blankets keeping you at just the perfect temperature, and numerous downy pillows surrounding you like a cotton nest, it's easily the most comfortable bed you've ever been in – more so than your bed back at Auntie's house, and _definitely_ the most comfortable place you've slept since leaving Moki Town.

And yet... you can still feel your mind trying to pull you away from the suite, away from Bealbeach, and back to the ruins of the Epsilon plant. Even now, you can smell the dust, its slightly metallic smell singing your nostrils, the creaking of stressed steel, the rustling and growls of unseen creatures…

You jerk yourself awake before the threatening nightmare can consume you. You sit up and take stock of your surroundings to ground yourself. Raptorch is curled up on the floor beside the bed, but his eyes are still open; he lifts his head to look at you when you move.

You reach for the remote on the nightstand and turn on the TV for background noise and light. You flip through channels until you find one that is replaying old footage of classic Pokémon League battles. Raptorch takes a mild interest, turning around to where he can easily watch while still curled up for sleep. You focus on the battles, watching Pokémon from faraway regions battle each other for dominance, and try to imagine yourself exploring these distant lands. Hundreds of Pokémon you've never seen before, all of them waiting to be discovered... you try to imagine yourself in Johto, looking at the beautiful Ecruteak City from Ho-Oh's Bell Tower... or gazing across all of Sinnoh from the peak of Mount Coronet... or taking in the lights and the excitement of Castelia City in Unova.

You turn off the lights, but keep the TV on. Its flicker illuminates the room, casting deep shadows across the floor and ceiling. Furniture and other objects lose their distinction in the semi-darkness. You have just enough time to realize that turning off the lights was a bad idea and then –

– _you're staring into a gaping maw, the doorway that leads into the crumbling ruins of the former power plant. You think you can feel the energy radiating out of it, a tingling sensation across your skin from the unseen radioactive remnants of the explosion that destroyed this place ten years ago. You know it must be your imagination – Cameron assured you that the radiation had cleared, and you're pretty sure you couldn't possibly_ _feel_ _radiation anyway – but the sensation is still there nonetheless._

 _Raptorch lets out a quiet little whimper at your side and you instinctively reach down to scratch behind his ears reassuringly. With your other hand, you touch the tracking device that Cameron hung around your neck. For a moment, you debate activating the radio just to make sure it works properly, but you decide against it. For one thing, you don't want to wear the battery down in the event that you actually need it; for another, you don't really want Cameron to realize just how scared you really are._

" _I'm certain you can handle it yourself," your father had told you before you left Ranger HQ to come over here. "You are my child, after all."_

 _The memory brings a rush of hate through you. His child, indeed... you still aren't sure how he could call you that if he hasn't even made the effort to take time off work to see you in so many years. You're his_ _offspring_ _, nothing more._

 _Holding on to that anger, you take a deep breath and use it to give yourself the courage to move forward. You'll show him... you'll show them all..._

 _Raptorch lets out another whine and pushes himself closer to you as you enter. The wind whistles through the empty and damaged corridors, wafting with it the smell of dust and something else, some sort of faintly metallic and_ _hot_ _scent. You can't quite pinpoint it, but it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up._

 _Above you and deeper inside the building, you hear the scratching of unseen creatures, and the creaking of stressed metal. You turn around and look at the open doorway, just to reassure yourself that it's still there and still a viable escape route to the outside._

 _The sun filters into that first room, and the light reassures you. You pick up an old notebook from an empty desk, its cover charred beneath a layer of white dust. You carefully brush the dust away, taking care not to send the fine powder flying into the air, and open it. Pages are missing, obviously ripped out. You tuck it into your bag to study later, and stare across the room at the door leading deeper into the plant. You touch Raptorch's head and the tracking device in turn, and head for it. The door sticks as you try to push it open; you shoulder it twice before it loosens and swings open, dumping you unceremoniously to the floor. Before you can get fully back to your feet, a horde of Nuclear Pokémon is attacking._

 _Instinct kicks in a half-second before your conscious mind does, and you're already screaming commands at Raptorch by the time you're upright and reaching for Grozard's PokéBall to back him up. His own instinct, finely tuned from your practice sessions with the Pokémon outside, has him acting even before you can form your thoughts into words. He slams himself into the first one, swings his fiery tail into the next one, and rakes razor-sharp talons into a third. You spot an irradiated Chyinmunk and snag it in an empty PokéBall – despite the danger and the adrenaline and the laser focus, your job with Professor Bamb'o still has you compelled to collect one of every Nuclear-type you find for him to study later._

 _After what feels like hours, the Pokémon retreat enough for you to take stock. Raptorch is panting hard, the flame on the end of his tail flickering weakly. You take a moment to treat him and Grozard both with a Super Potion, then push forward._

 _Time blurs and stretches as you explore the plant. Progress is slow; you can barely take more than a few steps at a time without being viciously attacked by hordes of Pokémon. You also find yourself getting tired from the seemingly endless Pokémon attacks, and disoriented by what feels like an infinite array of identical corridors._

 _You find one door that stands out from the others at the end of the most conspicuous hallway, only to find that it won't open. You try slamming your body into it several times before deciding that it must be locked; wearily you backtrack, checking every room you come to, searching for a key._

 _The Pokémon aren't relenting. You wonder how many more could possibly live inside the plant. You wonder why they would choose to live in this place, how they could be so relentless. You wonder why you yourself are still in here, why you don't just give up and go back to Cameron, tell him you're done and go sit on the dock until the ferry returns to take you back to Bealbeach and away from this nightmare._

 _Along the way, you find charred bits of paper that you assume must have come from the notebook you found. Most of them are entirely illegible; some have a few bits and pieces of words, too scattered to make sense of. You trace the looping letters of a couple of them, and wonder if your mother wrote them. You try to imagine what this place must have been like before the accident, brightly lit and clean and full of life. You try to picture your mother here, walking these halls and talking with her colleagues, but you can't; you can't even remember what she looked like._

 _And then you're attacked yet AGAIN by another Tancoon. You drop the paper and turn your full focus on commanding Kinetmunk – you're giving Raptorch a well-deserved break from fighting – to battle it. Once it, and the four others immediately afterward, are driven away, you forget about the papers and try to focus on finding the key to unlock that door._

 _You're not sure what is so important behind that door; the plant has been explored before you, and if the door is still locked, chances are good that the key has been lost to time. But some small part of you thinks that maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to find that so-called "closure" that everyone keeps talking about behind that locked door._

 _Maybe you'll find some clue as to what happened to your mother. You still feel sure that if she'd somehow survived the blast, she'd have somehow made her way back to you and your father. Things might have turned out better if she had; maybe then your father wouldn't have been so obsessed with work, maybe you could have had two loving parents who were around instead of just Auntie._

 _You've used this as proof, throughout the years, that she had in fact perished in this forsaken place. Maybe if you can find some solid evidence, your father will stop looking. Maybe he'll finally realize he still has_ _you_ _._

 _Your musings distract you, and Raptorch's sudden squawk of warning is just barely enough for you to dodge a beam of radiation from an Owten. You don't miss it entirely, though; your left hand gets caught in the beam and you scream in pain as the cold fire of it sears your skin. You drop and roll, clutching your hand to your chest, and Raptorch leaps forward with fire blazing, his loud battle cry echoing through the corridors._

 _The pain is intense, much more so than when that Tancoon clawed your leg during your first outing, and you have to fight to stay conscious through it. Raptorch bellows again, and you force yourself to bring his battle into focus. By the time you're able to, the battle is already over. Raptorch gloats over the fainted Owten for a few seconds, then rushes to your side._

 _Reluctantly, you pull your hand away from your chest and inspect it in the light from Raptorch's tail. The damage isn't quite as bad as you expected, but it's still enough to make you feel woozy. The skin is badly blistered from the burn, a few dark marks of charring along the edges of where the beam landed, and the pain is still unbearably intense; you experimentally try to flex your fingers, and nearly pass out from the pain again._

 _Biting back the screams that threaten to burst out of you and announce your location to the rest of the feral creatures, you reach for your bag and rummage for a Burn Heal. Even just holding the bag is almost too much to bear. You finally find one; you're shaking at this point, barely able to hold onto it while you spray it on your hand. It's meant for Pokémon use, but you hope it has some sort of effect on humans, too._

 _For several moments of relative quiet, you sit and wait. Eventually the pain starts to ebb. When you check your hand again, it's still injured but not quite as swollen; you can move it without the pain level being completely unbearable. It's obviously not going to be a perfect solution – "not very effective" you think with a brief laugh, and immediately wonder if you're getting delirious from pain and exhaustion – but it'll get you through._

 _Raptorch says something, motioning insistently. You look through the bag again for the speech translator, and turn it on. Raptorch speaks again, and the device translates. [Is your hand better?]  
_

" _As better as it's going to get," you answer, rising to your feet._

 _Raptorch looks around nervously. [I don't like this place; it's scary. Can we go home now?]_

" _Almost, buddy. Just hang in there a little longer."_

 _Raptorch whimpers quietly – [Bad scary place, but I trust you] – and follows you back into the main corridor._

 _It feels like forever – too many Pokémon, too many rooms, too many scraps of charred paper – when, towards the very back of the plant, you see something glint in the light from Raptorch's tail. You cautiously crawl under a desk to retrieve it; it's an old key, rusted but with just enough of its old shine visible to catch the light. You wonder if this is what some would consider a miracle; it seems incredible that after ten years, you're the one to find it._

 _Heart pounding with anticipation, you rush back to the locked door. It takes forever with the Pokémon constantly attacking, and it feels as if the closer you get, the more of them that appear. By the time you finally get there, gasping for breath as you lean against the wall and recover, you're exhausted and running low on supplies._

" _Almost there, Raptorch," you say as you insert the key into the lock. The key sticks when you try to turn it, but after wiggling it a few times you hear an audible click. Taking a deep breath and reminding yourself that it's almost over, you can just explore this one last area and finally_ _leave_ _, you push the door open._

 _Metal pops and cracks as you open the door and step inside. The room feels hot and stuffy, and you think for a moment you can hear a low droning buzz. You look around at the dark monitors and control panels, and suddenly feel a sense of foreboding; this must be the reactor control center. This was the last place your mother was seen alive._

 _There is another door, the edges of it glowing with a faint greenish light. Your heart seizes with dread as you stare at it. You've explored pretty much the entire plant to this point; the only thing beyond has to be the remains of the reactor core itself._

 _You know you can't stay in here for very long; the radiation may have cleared from the rest of the island, but if the door is still glowing then clearly part of the reactor core is still very much radioactive. You quickly look around for anything conspicuous – more notes, some clothing, heaven forbid you stumble across a corpse in here – and as you brush against one of the panels, you're startled to see a monitor suddenly turn on and start scrolling glowing letters._

 _Heart pounding, you stare in disbelief at the words, flashing past too quickly to read. It finally stops at a countdown, and a prompt asking to end it prematurely._

" _Dear Arceus," you whisper, backing away. You're not sure what this is, what it does, but you dare not touch it._

 _Abruptly, the monitor starts flashing ERROR... ERROR... ERR0R... 3RROR... 3RR0R; sparks suddenly crackle and fly up from the control panel. You feel a muffled thud from somewhere under you, and the entire building starts to rumble menacingly._

 _Raptorch shrieks and clutches your leg. The shaking intensifies, and you grab for one of the control panels to steady yourself. You briefly wonder what is going on, if the reactor has somehow tried to reactivate, if this is what your mother must have felt like just before—_

 _A loud crash echoes through the room from above, and you watch in horror as debris from the ceiling drops in front of the door with a heart-stopping crash. You cry out in desperation as you run toward the door, hoping there's still some way to get out._

 _You barely take two steps when the floor collapses under you—_

You jerk awake, heart pounding at the phantom sensation of falling, but the nightmarish flashback still has a firm hold on your mind—

– _you and Raptorch let out matching screams as you both fall through the floor. You hit the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of you, and you're thus unable to scream as you barely roll out from under the falling girder that nearly comes down on top of you._

 _As you roll to your feet and stand up, you suddenly feel dizzy and nauseated from the immense heat. Your surroundings blur around you, and as you stumble to the nearest upright structure to keep from falling down, you realize with a growing dread that the glow is much brighter down here._

 _This, you realize with sudden terror, must be the reactor core._

 _You look around wildly, trying to find some way of escape. The gaping hole above you that used to be the control room floor is too far to reach; there are also stairs that lead up to what was probably the glowing door you noticed, but they are collapsed halfway up. There appears to be no other way out._

 _You are just reaching for your tracking device when a loud bellow roars across the core. A shape emerges from the bright glow of the melted core; it's not until it roars again – and is answered by a challenging bellow from Raptorch – that you realize it's another Pokémon, but this one is different... you've never seen anything like it before, and the sight of it almost paralyzes you with fear._

 _The Pokémon lets out one more challenging bellow and the translator starts going crazy – [CRUSH DESTROY KILL CRUSH DESTROY KILL] – as it charges forward. Raptorch is already rushing forward to intercept. And as panic and dizziness and fear and nausea overwhelm you, you start to lose your tenuous grip on consciousness..._

... " _Raptorch... use Ember!"_

... _room spinning, blurring..._

... " _Go... Kinetmunk..."_

... _struggle, fight, to stay awake..._

 _[KILL KILL KILL]_

... " _Gro... Grozard... Bulldoze...!"_

... _can't even tell who is who anymore..._

... " _Cubblfly... Sleep... Sleep Pow... Powder..."_

... _reach for a PokéBall... gather up the last of your strength... throw..._

... _you manage to stay conscious long enough to see the PokéBall stop shaking and let out a soft flash, the sign of a successful capture..._

 _You remember collapsing to your knees as you lose the battle against the nausea and start vomiting. You remember Raptorch running toward you... you remember reaching for the tracking device..._

 _You remember wondering if this is what dying feels like..._

 _You don't remember what happens next._

This time, when you shake yourself free of the flashback, the leftover remnants of the nausea are still there. You somehow manage to disentangle yourself from the blankets and leap out of bed – startling Raptorch awake as you do – and make it safely to the toilet before retching.

This feels familiar, and you think maybe you remember, during those feverish days, being sick to your stomach like this, leaning over the side of the cot while someone – perhaps Cameron? – held you to keep you from falling to the floor. But you're not sure even now if it's a real memory, or if your mind is still having issues separating the past from the present, reality from imagined.

A soft orange glow starts to fill the bathroom, and it takes you a moment to recognize where it's coming from. Raptorch is standing just inside the door, the speech translator cradled carefully in his paws. He carefully approaches and hands you the device. You manage a weak half-smile as you take it from him and turn it on.

With the translator now on, Raptorch trills quietly and lays down on the floor beside you. [I don't like this, I don't like seeing you sick again.]

 _Again._ You wonder again just what happened in those days immediately after passing out inside the nuclear plant. You think about Raptorch and your other Pokémon. What must they have been thinking or feeling, seeing you incapacitated like that?

You still feel slightly queasy, but you're pretty sure you're not going to throw up again in the near future. You scoot closer to Raptorch, leaning against the cabinets as you gently stroke his head. "I think I'm okay. It's just... I don't think tonight is going to be a good night." You look over at him sadly, and wonder what would have happened to him and the others if you hadn't made it out alive. Would any of them have survived as well? Surely if you had died before being rescued, Cameron would have at least made sure to get them out of danger. Would he have taken them under his wing himself afterward? Or would he have given them to Theo, or turned them in to the Rangers?

A horrifying thought crosses your mind: what if you had died and, unable to escape, they were corrupted by radiation and turned into mindless monsters like those other poor creatures on the island?

An image of an irradiated Kinetmunk like the ones on the island crosses your mind, and you can't stop yourself from tearing up at the thought.

Raptorch lets out a startled squawk. [Something is wrong, what is wrong, why are you crying?]

"I'm sorry," you whisper, trying futilely to blink the tears away. "I'm sorry, I just... I'm sorry, Raptorch... if I had known what that place was going to be like, I'd never have brought you there. I'd never have brought any of you there. I put you all in danger... that's not what a good Trainer does."

Raptorch stares at you, head tilted to the side. [But if you left us behind, who would have protected you? Bad scary Pokémon attacked you... you are not a Pokémon, you would have been badly hurt.]

He pauses, gently touching first your leg, then your hand. Both injuries are healing, but they still ache. You know for a fact that you'll end up with scars on your leg; it's too soon to tell about your hand. [But... I am sorry. You were still hurt. Bad Tancoon hurt your leg, and bad Owten hurt your hand. I failed to protect you then. Maybe I deserve to have been left behind. But you would have been hurt worse.]

"I know," you say reluctantly. Raptorch is right; you never would have made it to the plant to start with if not for your team, much less venture inside and survive. Part of you wonders if that wouldn't have been a better outcome. "I never thanked you for that. Especially with that first Tancoon that attacked us... you really did save my life." Even though you know Raptorch doesn't like it, you still can't resist leaning down and hugging him tightly. To his benefit, he doesn't struggle or flare to get free, just relaxes in your arms and accepts it. "Thank you."

Raptorch trills. [You are my Trainer and I trust you, and I love you. You always protect us and take care of us, and I would do anything to protect you.]

You find yourself tearing up again for a different reason. "I know. And thank you for that." You hold Raptorch at arm's length so you can look into his eyes. "But Raptorch, please know something... I love you all too, and I don't want to see anything happen to you. So if... if something were to happen to me... like if we hadn't been rescued out of that place... I want you to take the others and run. Do you understand?"

Raptorch flares in surprise. You let out a yelp of pain and drop him, and he immediately calms down again. [I am sorry, I hurt you... I didn't mean to hurt you.]

"It's okay, I'm fine," you reassure him. You check your palms just to be sure, and find them slightly reddened but not burned.

Raptorch doesn't seem to hear your reassurances. He shakes his head emphatically, clearly distressed. [You ask a bad favor of me. You want me to promise to leave you if you are in danger, and I cannot do that, I cannot leave you if you are hurt.]

"Raptorch... Raptorch, please listen to me." You wait for him to look up at you again. "I'm only asking you this if..." You think back on that horrible moment trapped inside the reactor core, wondering as you slipped into unconsciousness if you would ever wake up again. You shudder at the memory. "Only if something really bad happens. I mean... heaven forbid if we ever find ourselves in a situation like... like what happened at Epsilon... again." Even the words leave a bad taste in your mouth, and you feel your stomach roil again at the thought. "But if we _are_... if I think I'm not going to make it out... I'm going to tell you to take the others and run. And I expect you to." Before Raptorch can protest again, you cut him off. "I mean it. I would be a horrible Trainer if I didn't make sure you had a chance to survive. I would rather die knowing you were safe than to have you go down with me."

Raptorch stares at you, and you see his own eyes tear up. He lowers his head against your chest and lets out a low mournful sound. You're surprised that the translator picks it up. [You make me promise to do such a bad thing. I don't like that, I don't want to ever see you hurt that bad that you have to make us leave you. But I will. I will promise that bad thing, to make you happy.]

You smile, genuinely, for the first time since stepping onto that ferry that took you into that nightmare. "I hope we never find ourselves in that situation again either. But I feel better knowing you'll do that if... if the worst happens."

You still feel shaken, and you still feel vaguely ill, but exhaustion is starting to catch up to you once more. You pull yourself to your feet and flush the toilet, and wearily make your way back to bed. The TV is still on; you don't turn it off. You also leave the lights on. Hopefully, if you can focus on what's right in front of you – what you know for a fact is present and real – you can actually sleep peacefully for the remainder of the night.

Raptorch seems reluctant to leave your side, so you pick him up and gently place him on the bed beside you. He lets out a little coo of delight – [This is nice!] – and immediately curls up at your side. You fall asleep to his gentle warmth and the sound of a Silph infomercial in the background…

 _The heat is what brings your surroundings into focus... you are back in the reactor core, woozy and ill from the intense heat and the radiation. This time, you are alone; there is no huge Nuclear Pokémon challenging you, and you suddenly realize that your own Pokémon are missing as well._

 _You manage to stand up and look around, heart pounding as once more you don't see any way of escaping. And then you hear a low growl from behind you, and you feel your skin prickle in nervous dread._

 _A shapeless form is rising from the glowing fluorescent green fluid that you identify as the melted remains of the reactor's fuel rods. Panic starts to overcome you as you realize that you're not as alone as you thought; there is, in fact, a Nuclear Pokémon down here with you. And this time, you have no one to fight to protect you._

 _The shape is taking on a disturbing familiarity... you are paralyzed in fear and disbelief as you suddenly recognize what has risen from the radioactive waste..._

 _It's Raptorch._

 _Only it's not Raptorch anymore._

 _You stare into the soulless glowing eyes of what used to be your loyal companion, and you_ _scream_ _._

You're still screaming when you wake up, and for several seconds afterward. When Raptorch stirs beside you, you reflexively shove him out of the bed before you can fully comprehend that you're awake and that he's not the same radioactively-corrupted monster from your dream. He hits the floor with a surprised and indignant "Grawwk!" that the translator immediately interprets as [Ouch!]

You're no longer screaming, but you're hyperventilating and shaking from adrenaline, and your heart feels like it's about to pound its way right out of your chest. Your stomach is churning, and you think for a moment that you're about to be sick right there in the bed.

It takes what feels like an eternity for your muscles to remember how to work, before you can throw the blankets – once so warm and comforting, now hot and entrapping – off of you. You lay there for another eternity and stare at the ceiling, gasping for breath, as you try futilely to rid your mind of this latest torment.

When you finally bring yourself to move, you're still shaken enough that you can't actually sit up and climb out of bed normally; instead, you roll yourself off the bed and onto the floor with a painful thump that almost – _almost_ – brings you back to that moment when you fell through the floor at the power plant. You somehow manage to stay grounded in the present, though how _firmly_ you are is up for debate.

Raptorch crawls up next to you, cautiously and almost fearfully as if afraid you'll hit him, and gently nuzzles your arm. He gives a quiet little sound that the translator doesn't bother to interpret, and stares at you with eyes shining brightly with both love and concern; it's that moment that you break down entirely.

Body wracked with uncontrollable sobs, you curl up on the floor and wrap your arms around him. You tell yourself over and over that it was just a dream, just a terrible nightmare conjured by a mind horrified at seeing what those Pokémon on Epsilon had become. You tell yourself – you _promise_ yourself – that Raptorch will _never_ become that mindless monster from your dream. You tell yourself that again and again, staring at Raptorch and burning the sight of him – the _real_ him, every detail of his features – into your mind in an attempt to vanquish every last trace of that dream from memory. You don't ever want to look at him and see that terrible monster, even if just in your mind.

You don't go back to sleep; you _can't_ , not now. So you lay there for the rest of the night, hugging Raptorch close to your body, and wait for daylight to come and make the world seem right and _normal_ once again.


	3. Epilogue

_You pause, staring across the clearing at the overgrowth of forest that separates the new construction from the ghostly remnants of the old power plant's burned-out shell. The tall grass just beyond the clearing sways hypnotically in the breeze. As you watch, a pair of eyes – glowing soulless orbs of greenish-white light – peer at you through the grass..._

As the sun comes up, flooding the room with natural light and chasing the shadows away, you finally manage to rouse yourself from your half-asleep stupor and get up.

Raptorch wakes up as you push yourself off the floor, your body aching from the stress of spending a night on the hard floor, and gives a questioning sound. You lean against the bed and look around, trying to reorient yourself to the room that's suddenly too bright and _cheerful_ for the situation.

It's hard to juxtapose the bad memories with this room, but you still feel a sense of both dread and claustrophobia as you look around.

You quickly gather your things and leave. One thing is for sure; you can't stay in that room another minute. Simply looking at it is a reminder of all the things your mind saw fit to replay during the night.

Bealbeach is practically deserted at this early hour; most of the residents are probably sleeping in, exhausted from a night of partying. You see a few people snoring on the beach, and wonder if they're sleeping or passed out.

The Ranger HQ is almost as empty when you slip inside. You can see a couple Rangers in the back, and just a single receptionist up front; she smiles at you as you enter. "Good morning."

"Morning," you say in reply; nothing _good_ about it. "Is, um... is Kellyn here?"

She blinks once, momentarily taken aback. "Well, yes... he's almost always here," she replies. "But he's in his office right now, and he usually doesn't like to be bothered this early in the morning – unless there's an emergency." Her inflection rises on the last syllable, making the last part come out almost as a question.

You sigh and shake your head. "No, there's no emergency. Just, uh... make sure he gets this back, please." You slide the key card across the desk to her. "Tell him... tell him I said 'thanks'."

"Certainly," she says, her cheery smile faltering just a bit as she studies you; clearly she's trying to put a name to the face. "And you are...?" she finally ventures.

You stare at her in disbelief. Your first arrival at Ranger HQ was met with such hoopla that you're honestly surprised she doesn't remember you. Then again... this _is_ a different person than was behind the desk the last two times you'd been in, so maybe she missed out on the great "Kellyn-is-a-father" ordeal. You can't help but think that maybe it's for the best.

"He'll know who it's from," is all you say. You quickly turn to leave before the tears can betray you.

"Oh!" she suddenly exclaims, her voice bringing you to a stop just as you are about to step outside. "You must be Chief Kellyn's kid! I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you – I work the night shift, so I didn't get a chance to meet you when you came in. But everyone told me all about you!" She giggles nervously. "I have to admit, I was just as surprised as everyone else – I didn't know Chief Kellyn even had—"

You shove the door open and leave the building before she can finish her sentence. If you hear _one more_ Ranger say "I didn't know he had a kid" again, you're very likely to start screaming.

You're halfway to the Gym when you hear Raptorch let out a squawk from somewhere behind you. The translator in your bag – you left it on again – immediately picks up the distant sound. [Slow down, wait for me!]

You obligingly stop and wait for Raptorch to catch up to you. "Sorry."

[What's wrong?]

"I just..." You shake your head, trying to figure out how to say what's on your mind. "I'm sick of this place," you finally say. "Between Dad and that damn power plant... I just want to get the next Gym Badge and move on."

Raptorch looks around the empty streets. [Early morning... will they be awake?]

"If they aren't awake yet, they will be soon enough. I'll wake up the Gym Leader myself if I have to."

Raptorch lets out a low worried trill. [Something is wrong with you, I don't like this... are you angry?]

You shake your head. "No. I mean..." You let out a weary sigh. "I don't know, maybe I am. But not at you. I just think we'll _all_ be better off if we leave Bealbeach as soon as possible. I don't want to be this close to Dad _or_ Epsilon anymore... I don't think you do, either."

Raptorch shudders. [Bad scary place.]

"Exactly. So let's go challenge the Gym so we can get out of here."

[Okay, good plan!] Raptorch nuzzles your hand and looks up at you affectionately.

For a brief moment, your mind flashes back to the nightmare of seeing him emerge from the reactor core, corrupted by the radiation. You quickly shove the thought out of your mind, and remind yourself that you'll never let that happen to him.

You give Raptorch's head a little pat, and he trills happily. Taking a deep breath, you head for the gym, your loyal companion resolutely at your side.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Thanks for reading! And thanks again to Dynamite3539 and the three anonymous FB users who beta'ed this - I really appreciate the help!_

 _Please leave a review! As I've always said, Reviews = Love and will be rewarded with virtual hugs (or virtual cookies, if you prefer)! :)_


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